Eden at Dawn

Longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature 2026

In a land forgotten by time, swept by sandstorms, and burdened by occupation, two young Palestinian men fall in love. In the labyrinthine city of Jerusalem, where poets woo their lovers with tales of jinns, lions, and warriors, Isaac and Gabriel pass in the streets, unaware of one another until biblical Egyptian winds bring enough sand to blot out the heavens. From their first meeting, desire blooms, hesitates, withdraws, and returns in a heady romance recounted by the sky itself, who cranes past rooftops and through windows to glimpse the pair. Defying checkpoints, desert squalls, and blazing heat, Gabriel and Isaac embark on a road trip through Jericho and past the Dead Sea to a storied village in the West Bank—a daring act in a divided country. Lyrical and languorous, shattering and profound, Eden at Dawn is a feast of love in the midst of war.